Wandering Brawler
Wandering Brawler is one of epics that told by the elders to youngsters, taught them with the famed drunkard’s courage and determination to yield a rather hard quest which is almost impossible even for a normal, sober person to do. In this story was told an alcoholic person made it to find his training ground and new master to develop his own skill, through vast and dangerous places and dangers scattered along the way from the Lunkerstone to the westmost town—the port town of Brigandine. Some elders believe that this story is one of the epics which leads to the Legend of Seven Swords saga, as some of the person inside Wandering Brawler story are also appeared in the saga. Overview “You may think I'm aimless in my life, but you must know, I'm in a journey to forge my skill and to find Corona Village, where I may gain more skills and find a brand new proper master for myself.” – The drunkard, Drunken Hustler, Vent McGraves the Shadow at Noon. Wandering Brawler is one of the famous folklore which proofs even the drunkard may have an epic story to be told generation by generation. The story itself once told by a local barkeep in Pinewood as he saw the first part of the story iteself, and then told by travelling merchants, hunters, and adventurers across the land. The story became one of the Westerland Lore, and deserved a place in some of Westerlanders’ tales. Most of sources citated the beginning of the story began in 205AE, but the Treasure Hunter representative Ellenia Smith made her argument that the Wandering Brawler started in 204AE, about 9 years before the first Treasure Hunter Guild established by ex-member of Wolffang Hunter Guild, Dorothy Gale. Many versions spreaded among Westerland, but the most relevant one is the local Pinewood bartend version, Warriors’ Village version and some written documentation combined—Al Vicena’s journal and Courage’s log proven the story’s existence and strengthen the valid sources, also corrects some missing lines in the valid sources as well as the well-known Thomas K. Luckmann’s Heroes of the West series. One of notable footage wrote by the famous writer Thomas K. Luckmann in his well-documented Heroes of the West vol. 2 describes our hero’s good deed in his epic story: This story took its first place at Wolffang Tavern, Pinewood, when a fine drunkard found a girl was in distress there. Fighting in the tavern that night can’t be ceased, the drunkard shall rumble against three or four rogues. What an unfair match. Fortunately, the girl that drunkard trying to protect raises her fist and surprisingly made it to punch one of them to the ground. In the next morning, the drunkard was interested in the girl’s origin and custom. After a long chat and about twelve plates of food, he decided to escort back the girl to her friend whose must be worried about her. Maybe when he brings the girl back to the port town she mentioned, he could find clue about Corona Village’s existence... Many things he and his companion done along the way to the port town that most people believe it’s the westmost port town in Westerland—Brigandine. A wondrous adventure awaits him at the horizon, as many unexpectable things, glorious quests and precious treasure may meet him along the journey... It is said Thomas made a contact with the drunkard once but nothing worth a place in his book. However, he instead wrote a book called Brewmaster, Brewmastery and the Spirits which the source said was taken from the same person as the drunkard often told in the Wandering Brawler’s section in Heroes of the West series. Perhaps he met with the drunkard once after the ending of Wandering Brawler epic, but unfortunately the narrated personal interview with the drunkard isn’t well documented and seems like he made some mistakes when he wrote the book. It strengthen the legend that once you meet the drunkard, you’ll forget what you’ve talked and heard after a sip of his trusted ale. But still, the legend remains unknown ever since. In the end of the story, after the drunkard made it to reunite the girl and her friend, the drunkard’s disappeared. However, even though most people believed that the drunkard is still around Westerland, no one ever seen him again ever since... Casts Although it’s rather different in many versions, and even thought one told the story in different way than others, the elders who track down the story and writers who make the books of Westerland epoch were agreed that the drunkard often said in the story is a local, eccentric drunkard is known by the name of Vent McGraves. Vent—as the eccentric drunkard and the unique brawler, has many similarity with the drunkard told in the story, and some guys whose spent the night with drinking, singing and shouting in the tavern agreed that the Wandering Brawler tale is about the Drunken Hustler; Vent’s title among the tavern fellows. What a nice guy with strong willing to drink, they said. Elders believed that Vent McGraves is the main character in this story. However, they also believed that the companion said in the story maybe isn’t only the girl which is barely known by her distinctive costume. This list is the elders’ hypothesis about who takes the part in Wandering Brawler: *Vent McGraves is believed as the main character in Wandering Brawler. Many of the drunkard’s characteristic matched with him; eccentric drunkard and unique fighting style that involves hand-to-hand and drunk habit. In the story, his role is to find his new master and accidentally took a quest to bring back a girl to the westmost town in Westerland—Brigandine. *Dorothy Gale told that she also with the drunkard in her early years before establish the Treasure Hunter guild. She travelled with the drunkard and a girl he escorted across the vast forests and prairies of Westerland, the desert land of Iberia, and once went to Cecilia Isle with him. She built the guild afterwards after knowing that many artifacts scattered around the land which are valuable, and wants to protect them from marauders and thieves. *Ryuna, as described from the Thomas K. Luckmann’s Heroes of the West books and some descriptions from several witnesses, is the girl who the drunkard tried to escort back to Brigandine. Except the drunkard himself, no one knows from where she came and for what she wandered the land alone. *Andy Landwalker is the man several times described in the story as ‘the green, fast guy excelled in kinfemastery and acrobatics.’ Based on the annotations from several journals (mostly Al Vicena’s), Andy Landwalker hailed not from Westerland, or another place in Mediterania; instead he came from the celestial realm Skynesia, a mythical realm Westerlanders believe as the origin of the Wingers race lived. On the annotations also described a Winger name—Nella, probably a female Winger, whom led Andy to the previous quest. There are more people involved in the Wandering Brawler story, but they have a few role in the story. Several notable persons are: *Dhewi Ningrum Hapsari, an Easterland girl who travels to Westerland for her own purposes; *Courage Greenwood, generally known as a tinker; *Al Vicena Ar Rusyd, an Alchemist and a Tutor in Cordoba; *Ki Joko Perkasa, Vent's previous master which known by people of Jova; Note: There are more person involved, but others are less mentioned than in the list. Epilogue There are many versions of the story’s epilogue, as the story has many version told by people of Westerland. But generally there are some endings that may describe where the drunkard is going afterwards. *Generally, some said the drunkard’s tale wasn’t heard anymore after he reached Brigandine and made it to return the girl he helped to safety. This version is believed as the most relevant ending which the drunkard is actually lost after reaching the port town, through the vast woods of Brigandine Forest. *However, as said by the Treasure Hunter Guild founder and leader, Dorothy Gale, the end of Wandering Brawler story remains unknown. As long as the drunkard is still alive and wandering around the land of Westerland or Mediterania, wherever he goes the story remains alive. She validated the argument with her statement that she was with the drunkard for a short time, some years before she establish the guild. *Another version came from the Cecilia Isle that the Countess of Fortuna Town, Lilianne Fortuna, recited the drunkard’s words when he came to the isle for rescuing a girl that he’ll continue his journey to Easterland, homeland of the drunkard’s master. Most of the elders in Westmidland Council agreed that the Countess’ utterance is a misheard statement, and proven by the legacy the drunkard left at Rose Town; bottles of Solitine Brandy which taken directly from Cecilia Isle. (Note: Solitine Brandy sold in Westerland mainland with an import mark on the bottle, and the legacy left marks that the brandy is directly taken from there.) In addition, the elders agreed that the Wandering Brawler story leads to the Legend of Seven Swords saga, as several person in the epic have their relations with the Wandering Brawler story. Category:Stories Category:Mediterania